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Snuff Box, c. 1870
Unknown artist (American); North America
Sperm whale ivory, silver and ink…
Snuff Box
Snuff Box, c. 1870
Unknown artist (American); North America
Sperm whale ivory, silver and ink…
Snuff Box, c. 1870 Unknown artist (American); North America Sperm whale ivory, silver and ink; 2 1/2 × 1 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. 2011.25.19 Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Burton W. Fink

Snuff Box

ClassificationsTools and Equipment-smoking or snuffing equipment-containers
Datec. 1870
Made AtUnited States, North America
MediumSperm whale ivory, silver and ink
Dimensions2 1/2 × 1 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (6.4 × 3.8 × 3.8 cm)
Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. Burton W. Fink
Object number2011.25.19
DescriptionStories of the Man in the Moon and other anthropomorphized depictions of the moon apparently stem from early astronomers seeing faces in the pocked surface of earth’s satellite. Over time this has developed into images of the moon such as the one featured in this whale tooth scrimshaw, which show the moon with human features such as eyes and a mouth. Like many other scrimshaw objects, this carved snuff box was made by a New England whaler sometime in the late 19th century. With months or sometimes years at sea, whalers had plenty of time to carve spare whale parts into utilitarian or decorative objects. Few were talented enough to create high-quality freehand carvings, indicating that this moon was almost certainly traced from a book.
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